M54 Army Shoe (Themiclesia)

M54 Army Shoe

File:Shoe.fw.png Schematic (3rd party) of the M70
Type	Shoe
Material	Calf leather, kid leather, duck canvas, Maracaibo rubber, copper, steel mesh, beeswax, copper nitrate solution, cotton, glue
Manufacturer	Sning-lang Crafting House (1854 – 1976), Worldwide Shoe Company Ltd. (since 1976)

The M54 Blue Army Shoe was a standard-issue footwear for Themiclesian infantrymen in several regiments between 1854 and the Pan-Septentrion War, intended for field use. It has since been phased out of general issue in favour of other designs, though they are still very common in Consolidated Army as an acceptable alternative. The monicker M54 was given by private individuals; its manufacturer simply called it the "enhanced field shoe".

Origin

The M54's characteristic rubber sole can be attributed to rubber-soled sandles that the Themiclesian marines wore in the 18th century. These were grass-woven sandles with its sole reinforced with rubber then cured. The rubber offered much-needed grip on the fleet's slick wooden decks. The same technique was adopted by the Sning-lang Crafting House, when they were commissioned to produce a new shoe for several infantry regiments after 1854. The new shoe was an improvement upon the traditional leather-soled cleats that frequently cracked due to excessive wear. Rubber was applied across a perforated layer of leather sewn onto the bottom of the shoe body, while the seam itself was protected against the elements by the rubber coating. This created a soft shoe that became popular not only in the army but for working wear as well.

Structure

• Shell made from single sheet leather, pressed into the shape of a shoe, with excess leather not trimmed off but folded to form the sole, 4" tall in profile
• Surface covering made from three layers of duck canvas, each dowsed in beeswax and secured to each other and the shell with stiches, then treated with copper sulfate for antibacterial and antifungal properties
• Sole lined with copper sheet and steel mesh inserts
• Sole formed from cured rubber
• Inner lining made from another sheet of leather, press and formed, and treated with copper sulfate, stitched to the shell
• Inner sole made from linen
• Laces of leather, rolled, then braided, clamped with thick copper dots, threaded through the sole itself and then into holes on the vamp
• Insole made from cork

Reception and use

Advantages

Considered the best combat footwear during the PSW, it was one of the few things the Themiclesian soldier had over his allies and enemies. It earned the nickname "bloccasins" (a portmanteau from "blue" and "moccasin") from several countries' troops for its bright blue colouration, deemed attractive against the rubber outsoles. Durable, supportive, and protective, captured Themiclesian soldiers even used it to barter for their freedom. A retired Army officer stated that the shoes represented the government's "commendable empathy and attention" to common soldiers, who were often injured and impaired by inadequately footwear.

Disadvantages

Cost of manufacturing has remained high throughout the shoe's production, and its time-consuming and complex manufacturing process has always beset their widespread adoption and adequate supply, especially during periods of stringency. This is particularly true prior to the PSW, when Parliament often directly controlled regimental budgets according to the whims of the appropriations and war committees. Even prior to the war, it was only fielded by a few regiments that placed greater emphasis on the material wellbeing of its servicepersons. The manufactory at Sning-lang dispatched 200 pairs of the M54 a day in 1936, far too little to supply the nation's conscript army. It could not expand to meet a proposal to extend them to all new units, as Maracaibo's foreign trade was monopolized by the Dayashinese empire in 1938, making rubber scarce.

Current use

The M54 remains a popular choice for many servicepersons, and because many units prohibits soldiers from leaving garrison undressed, they have not been as visible as they were during the PSW. They are still seen in international exercises, worn by some Themiclesian soldiers and by a few from other nationalities. Though, as some commentators have noted, in the age of camouflage, the blue hue will probably "need to go" so soldiers remain less visible, as blue tends to stand out against most backdrops.

It is notable that many movie productions acknowledge the blue M54 as a characteristic trait of Themiclesian soldiers, and celebrities occasionally wear the M54 to evoke the image of the same. For its vibrant colouration, it is also seen in discoes and black light raves, where the chemicals present in the shoe's shell exhibit a particularly brilliant reflection. In the 2018 Saintonge Crisis, M54 were handed out in the hundreds to refugees for its superior qualities. The manufacturer donated 10,000 pairs pro bono and accepted around 30,000 donation orders from the public; additional orders were declined due to insufficient production capacity.

Continued availability

During the period of fiscal difficulty in the late 70s, the government sold the factory to group of employees. The whole facility was sold for value in land only.

The Consolidated Army continues to order commemorative editions of the M54, given out as prizes to the public. Per contract with Worldwide Shoes Company Ltd., the Consolidated Army has rights to depict their products in promotional artwork, and its servicepersons receive a 30% discount when purchasing the shoe, which partly explains its lingering presence. In return, the manufacturer annually donates 10% of their net profits to the government to use the Consolidated Army's symbols. As in the war, these shoes are still often worn to express their support for the Army, particularly in the context of inter-service sports events.

Variants

Variant	Features	Year intro.	Used by	Price	Patent	Notes
A	1854 original	1854	Consolidated Army	$799	No
B	High-top available in 8", 10", or 12"	1961	Civil only	$799	No
C	Low-visibility patterns in muted colours	1990	Sylvan Army Aversgard Army Hanhae Army Eisenmaat Army	$799	No
D	High-visibility with LED-display panel as outer shell	2014	Civil only	$1,299	Yes	Adaptive camouflage for military use under consideration
E	PSW-reproduction version with "Benefactor" footprints	2015	Civil only	$1,935	Yes	Price is reflective of year of PSW commencement
F	Non-metallic parts for electrical hazards	2015	Civil only	$849	Yes
G	Breathable with mesh panels for ventilation	2016	Civil only	$799	Yes
H	Cruelty-free with artificial leathers and silks	2018	Civil and military	$799	Yes	Recently adopted in some states in interest of vegetarians servicepersons
M	Maracaibo's jackboot version	1970	Maracaibo Blue Guard	$799	No
S	South Meridian Republic's breathable version	2021	South Meridian Republic's special forces	$799	No
Z	Made-to-order available on the manufacturer's website	N/A	Civil only	varies	varies

See also

• Shoe
• Themiclesia